Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
February 21, 2019

Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations Colin Jordan is promising laid off workers that Government has not forgotten them.

Jordan said the recent separation of workers from the Public Service must not be seen merely as a retrenchment exercise but as the first phase in the modernisation of the public service.

“Government is in the process of detailing a modernisation programme with the Inter American Development Bank that is intended to utilise many of the persons who recently lost their employment in the public sector,” he said.

Jordan was speaking at this morning’s opening ceremony of the consultation on Human Resource Development in Barbados, at the main conference room at the Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies, where he said that Barbados could not achieve a 21st century service ethos by utilising old wineskins that have not changed much since Independence.

The minister said his comment was not intended to minimise the sense of loss on the part of those who are now without jobs.

He stressed that his ministry’s policies were designed to effect changes in the quality of Barbados’ workers and in the regulation of Barbados’ labour market. He said human resource development, or workforce development, which was more comprehensive conceptually, moves beyond just education and training and promotes the ambition of an efficient labour market where employers are able to obtain the skills they need and job seekers are able to get the jobs they like and could succeed in.

“Employability, which was a core objective in the original HRD Strategy 2011-2016 must again be a signal outcome while life-long learning will be the bridge that facilitates continuing employability.

Workforce development is key to achieving three sets of important outcomes that are critical for Barbados in the context of government’s transformation agenda: increasing social inclusion, raising productivity, and preparing the economy for the future, principally through the stimulating and the formation of skill eco-systems,” he said.

Jordan also said that the development of relevant skills must not be perceived simply as investing more in training programmes, as Barbados has been doing since Independence.

The minister said Government has created a Structure of Work Sub-Committee as part of the Social Partnership, from which recommendations on the new strategies and systems are expected which could be implemented in order to promote and enhance the quality of service delivery.

The committee was also ordered to identify the supporting mechanisms required to facilitate new working arrangements, in addition to examining leave in the public service, particularly, the root causes and effects of absenteeism, including excessive sick leave, and identify ways to address them.

The committee has also been asked to make recommendations in respect of workplace design.

Mr. Jordan, stop trying to fool the citizens. First tell me why workers were laid off if you have intention of re employing them in the near future. Simply put, the argument for sending home these people was that the staff complements in government and hence the wages bill was too high. Stop talking folly, to modernize government any retraining will now have to go to the workers still on staff and then for the public sector to be more efficient even more workers will be sent home.
The alternate to this will be to train your friends, lay off more workers and have your trained friends replace them. I hope this is not your plan.

The only way to create more jobs is to facilitate new businesses, with new business owners. The traditional businesses, with the same owners even with expansion can’t carry the workload of this growing nation. Out sourcing of services to small players is the way to go Jordan.

There was never any firm plan for these retrenched workers, you recently called on the Cave Hill School of continuing studies to assist, you called on the S J P P to assist, the I A D B funded initiative was talked about since last year as well, it still only talk. These people need replacement income, and most of them need it fast.

Tell us what is your government going to do currently, not down the road. As the song says, “action speaks louder than words, don’t be deceived by all those fancy talkers.” Indeed you and your cabinet comrades are all fancy talkers. No wonder George, and Ronald are totally silent.

GREENGIANT: Once again you are making a whole lot of sense.
What Barbados need is a comprehensive sustainable growth plan that is practical and that can be executed.
This is another minister that need to go away.